Department for Transport

Department for Transport: Internet

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many cloud services contracts that were previously delivered by British cloud services providers for the Department forTransportare now delivered by multinational cloud service providers; what is the value of those contracts; and what are the names of the previous providers.

baroness sugg: All cloud services for the Department are delivered by multinational providers; one cloud service was previously delivered by British provider UKCloud (formerly Skyscape). The contract was with DVSA, and the value was £300,000 for the period July 2014 to June 2017.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Post Offices: Income

lord forsyth of drumlean: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many post office owners are in receipt of income which represents an hourly rate below the minimum wage.

lord henley: Remuneration arrangements with its postmasters is the responsibility of Post Office Limited.

Halifax Bank of Scotland

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the composition of those case committees of the Financial Reporting Councilthat have dealt with the matter of the KPMG audit of HBOS plc.

lord henley: The members of the Financial Reporting Council’s (FRC’s) Group Case Management Committee dealing with the matter of KPMG’s audit of HBOS plc were Malcolm Nicholson, Mark Eames, Richard Murray and Jim Jack. The responsibilities of the Group Case Management Committee are set out in paragraph 4(3) of the FRC’s Accountancy Scheme, a copy of which is attached. Other individuals and FRC committees associated with the FRC’s enquiries and investigation of KPMG’s 2007 and 2008 audits of HBOS, as well as committee governance, roles, remit and conflict of interest policies, are set out in the FRC’s report on the FRC’s enquiries and investigation of KPMG’s audits of HBOS, also attached.



FRC Accountancy Scheme 2014
(PDF Document, 355.27 KB)




HBOS Report November 2017
(PDF Document, 1.05 MB)

Cooperative Bank

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the composition of those case committees of the Financial Reporting Councilthat have dealt with the matter of the KPMG audit of Co-op Bank plc.

lord henley: The members of Financial Reporting Council’s (FRC’s) Group Case Management Committee dealing with the matter of KPMG’s audit of Co-op Bank plc were Malcolm Nicholson, Philip Taylor, Jim Jack, David Brew and Geraint Davies. The responsibilities of the Group Case Management Committee are set out in paragraph 4(3) of the FRC’s Accountancy Scheme, a copy of which is attached.



FRC Accountancy Scheme 2014
(PDF Document, 355.28 KB)

Lasers

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the regulations governing the sale of laser pens and other such devices.

lord henley: Under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 only laser pointers that are considered to be safe for normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use should be made available to the public through general sale. It is an offence for manufacturers to market or supply dangerous products to consumers. Last year the Government issued a call for evidence on the market and use of laser pointers to better understand the nature and scale of the hazards associated. As a result, the Government has introduced new measures to tackle the sale of unsafe laser pointers, including additional funding for enhanced border checks to stop high-powered lasers entering the country and working with manufacturers and retailers to improve labelling to help consumers identify unsafe lasers. A Government Bill to introduce a new offence of shining or directing a laser beam at a vehicle is currently before Parliament.

Made Smarter Review

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement the recommendations of the industry ledMade Smarter Review, published on 30 October 2017.

lord henley: We have been working hard with Industry and Whitehall colleagues to consider how to build on existing pilot activities and align programmes in areas such as skills, and research and development. We are also exploring how to better coordinate institutions, such as Catapults and research bodies, to help realise the opportunities Made Smarter highlights for manufacturing across the UK. These discussions will continue throughout 2018/19. In February, my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy announced two developments:He asked Sir Mark Walport to work with Juergen Maier on the development of an Industrial Strategy Challenge on the digitalisation of our manufacturing industry. Successful proposals will be announced later in the year.The Made Smarter commission, an industry/ government collaboration to lead on the future of UK manufacturing and provide governance for a future sector deal. Membership is currently being considered and we anticipate further announcements in the coming weeks.

Made Smarter Review

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatis their timetable for implementing the recommendations of the Made Smarter Review.

lord henley: We have been working hard with Industry and Whitehall colleagues to consider how to build on existing pilot activities and align programmes in areas such as skills, and research and development. We are also exploring how to better coordinate institutions, such as Catapults and research bodies, to help realise the opportunities Made Smarter highlights for manufacturing across the UK. These discussions will continue throughout 2018/19. In February, my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy announced two developments:He asked Sir Mark Walport to work with Juergen Maier on the development of an Industrial Strategy Challenge on the digitalisation of our manufacturing industry. Successful proposals will be announced later in the year.The Made Smarter Commission, an industry/government collaboration to lead on the future of UK manufacturing and provide governance for a future sector deal. Membership is currently being considered and we anticipate further announcements in the coming weeks.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Bahraini Ministry of Interior Ombudsman

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what technical, financial or other support the UK has given to the Ministry of Interior Ombudsman in Bahrain to help it achieve its objectives.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK has been providing a range of technical and practical assistance to the Government of Bahrain since 2012, in support of its reform programme. This technical assistance supports the building of effective and accountable institutions, strengthening the rule of law, and police and justice reform. It has included work with the National Institution of Human Rights, the Ministry of Interior Ombudsman, and the Prisoners' and Detainees' Rights Commission. Any training provided by or on behalf of the British Government complies with our domestic and international human rights obligations.

Burma: Armed Conflict

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in Burma, following reports of recent attacks by the Burma Army in Karen State.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK has provided political and programme support to Burma's peace process since the signing of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in October 2015, including through the Joint Peace Fund which supports the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in various ways such as the Joint Monitoring Committee. The UK is concerned by the Burmese military's recent attacks on the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), a signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, and the consequent displacement of civilians. The UK will continue to urge all parties to abide by the National Ceasefire Agreement and encourage progress through negotiations towards a peace settlement.

Burma: Armed Conflict

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they have taken to address the escalating conflict in Kachin and Northern Shan Statesin Burma, and thereported human rights violations by the Burma Army against civilians.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK is concerned about the intensifying conflict in Kachin and Northern Shan states, including disturbing and credible reports of human rights abuses and violations. The UK ensured specific references to the situation in Shan and Kachin in the UN Human Rights Council’s resolution on Human Rights in Burma in March 2018. The British Ambassador visited Kachin State in January 2018 to discuss the situation with local political and religious leaders, and visited an Internally Displaced Persons camp. The Minister for Asia and the Pacific called on 28 April for the Burmese military to show restraint and to protect civilians following a surge in violence in Kachin. The UK contributed £6.1 million in the financial year 2017-18 to humanitarian assistance for conflict affected people in Kachin and Northern Shan States, including in non-government controlled areas.

Morocco: Travel Restrictions

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to discuss with the government of Morocco why the Reverend Colin Dye was recently refused entry to Morocco, and why he was held overnight and then placed on a flight to Rome without any entries on his passport or a copy of the paperwork he was obliged to sign.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Her Majesty's Government cannot interfere in another country's immigration procedures, in the same way that we would not allow them to interfere in ours. Reverend Colin Dye did not request consular assistance while in Morocco; therefore the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have no information about his deportation to Rome.

Russia: Electronic Warfare

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 5 March (HL5692), whether they have responded toRussian Foreign Minister Lavrov’s proposal forbilateral interdepartmental consultations on international information security; if so, what that response was; and if not,when they intend to give a response.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: In her address to Parliament on 14 March 2018, the Prime Minister made clear that high level bilateral contact with Russia was suspended as a result of the Salisbury incident. This includes the bilateral consultations on international information security proposed by the Russian government. We will continue to discuss cyber security in multilateral fora with Russia, where appropriate.

Sudan: Terrorism

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK has pledged to support Sudan's removal from the United States' list of state sponsors of terrorism; if so, upon what grounds that decision was made; and what is their assessment of the human rightssituation in that country.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Sudan’s removal from the United States’ State Sponsor of Terrorism List is a bilateral issue between the United States and Sudan. However, we encourage Sudan to take the action necessary to work towards removal from the list, including by making the necessary progress on human rights and macroeconomic reform.

Turkey: Press Freedom

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Turkey about the jailing of 12 journalists from the newspaper Cumhuriyet.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are seriously concerned by the sentences imposed on journalists and staff from Cumhuriyet newspaper in Turkey and I raised the case of the jailed staff with my Turkish counterpart when we met in late April.

START Treaty

lord campbell of pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of the United States about the renewal of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government has close and regular dialogue with the US Administration on all aspects of nuclear and arms control policy. The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) is a Treaty between the US and Russia that, among other things, imposes limits on the numbers of strategic nuclear warheads, inter-continental and submarine launched ballistic missiles and launchers deployed by each country. The Treaty has made a significant contribution to strategic stability since it was signed in 2010. It is due to expire in February 2021. We support dialogue between the US and Russia on New START, but any extension or renewal would be a matter for those countries.

Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

lord campbell of pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of the United States aboutratificationofthe Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK remains a strong supporter of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. During the last six months we have continued to press states, including the US, who have not yet signed and ratified the Treaty to do so. Most recently, during the 2018 Preparatory Committee of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the UK made two statements promoting these goals.

British Nationals Abroad: Forced Marriage

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy on payment of emergency loans to British victims of forced marriage overseas.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is not funded to provide financial assistance to British nationals overseas, but can provide emergency loans on a discretionary basis, in very exceptional circumstances. The FCO can provide an emergency loan to assist victims of forced marriage, where there are no alternative sources of funding. Emergency loans can be used to fund the reasonable costs relating to repatriation to the UK. The Government recognises the risks that victims of forced marriage can face and the challenges that they may encounter on the return to the UK. This is why emergency loans are offered to assist British nationals in these circumstances.

Department of Health and Social Care

Dental Health: Children

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve the oral health of school children in England.

lord o'shaughnessy: Local authorities are responsible for assessing the oral health needs of their local population, including the needs of school children, developing oral health strategies and commissioning oral health improvement programmes.Public Health England has published resources to support local authorities in improving the oral health of children, and is working locally with local authorities on this. These resources include Local authorities improving oral health: commissioning better oral health for children and young people: An evidence-informed toolkit for local authorities which assessed the community-based preventive services that reduce tooth decay, including those that increase fluoride availability. This toolkit supports local authorities to invest in programmes which have demonstrated improvement in children’s dental health. A copy of the toolkit is attached.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published Oral health: local authorities and their partners (NICE guidance PH55). This guidance includes recommendations to consider supervised toothbrushing schemes and fluoride varnish schemes in nurseries and primary schools in areas where children are at high risk of poor oral health and also recommendations on raising awareness of importance of oral health as part of a whole school approach in all primary and secondary schools. A copy of the guidance is attached.Sugary food and drinks are one of the main causes of tooth decay. The Government’s Childhood Obesity: A Plan for Action, launched in August 2016, contained proposals for a broad, structured sugar reduction programme to remove sugar from the categories of food that contribute the most to children’s sugar intakes. This Plan and the sugar levy which came into effect in April 2018, is expected to have a positive effect on improving children’s oral health.



Local authorities improving oral health
(PDF Document, 1.92 MB)




NICE guidance oral health
(PDF Document, 260.13 KB)

Department for International Development

Burma: Rohingya

baroness sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to help tackle the trafficking of Rohingya refugee women and girls.

lord bates: DFID is supporting UNHCR’s prevention and response mechanism to protect Rohingya from sexual and gender-based violence and human trafficking in all key refugee-hosting locations. This support includes legal counselling, mediation, support to bring legal proceedings against perpetrators and awareness raising of danger signs and risks. Almost 36,000 people are benefiting from this project.

Palestinians: Refugees

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the statement by UNRWA on 26 April, what action they will take to protect and provide for Palestinian refugees in the Palestine refugee camp of Yarmouk in Damascus and surrounding areas.

lord bates: Yarmouk camp has been besieged for several years. Humanitarian access remains restricted due to ongoing military activity and the presence of Daesh. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), supported by DFID, has had no direct access to the camp since April 2015. We continue to call on all parties to protect civilians, and to allow humanitarian agencies unfettered access to provide aid to those most in need, including at the UN Security Council and the International Syria Support Group. The Secretary of State for International Development and Minister of State for the Middle East focused on these messages at the ‘Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region’ Conference in Brussels on 24 and 25 April.

Developing Countries: Educational Exchanges

lord german: To ask Her Majesty's Government which countries they have determined as being eligible for the reciprocal visits element of the Connecting Classrooms programme.

lord german: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they agreed with the British Council the list of eligible countries for the reciprocal visits element of the Connecting Classrooms programme, beginning in July.

lord german: To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria they apply in selecting eligible countries for the reciprocal visits element of the Connecting Classrooms programme.

lord bates: The full list of countries deemed eligible for reciprocal visits has not yet been finalised and will be published in due course.The criteria applied in this decision include whether the country is a priority for DFID and the British Council, and whether an appropriate degree of support for reciprocal visits can be offered in-country. However, exceptions are considered for countries which have strong links with regions of the UK.

Department for Education

Department for Education: Internet

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many cloud services contracts that were previously delivered by British cloud services providers for the Department for Education are now delivered by multinational cloud service providers; what is the value of those contracts; and what are the names of the previous providers.

lord agnew of oulton: There are no current contracts previously delivered by British cloud services providers for the Department for Education that are now delivered by multinational cloud service providers.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Public Health: Finance

baroness pinnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assumption they have made of the level of funding to be provided for public health in the context of plans for councils to retain 75per cent business rates and of the Fair Funding Review of councils’ funding baselines.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The assumption of the level of funding to be provided for public health in the context of plans for local government to retain 75 per cent of business rates is based upon the indicative public health grant allocations for 2019/20. This was published by the Department of Health and Social Care in December 2017, and outlines the total value of the public health grant in 2019/20 as £3.1 billion. The exact funding level for 2020/21 will be determined by the next Spending Review, due in early 2019, ensuring budgets can be set out in advance for 2020 onwards.Our Fair Funding Review of relative needs and resources is determining a new, up-to-date funding distribution for local government finance settlements, with a target implementation of 2020/21. Whilst we are committed to a simple and transparent formula, we are working closely with local government representatives to determine which services require a more sophisticated approach, including Public Health.

Social Services: Finance

baroness pinnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to ensure that the work on the social care Green Paper, and parallel work on working age adults, feeds into (1) the Fair Funding Review of councils’ relative needs, and(2) plans for 75per cent business rates retention.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: In developing the Social Care Green Paper, the Government is taking the time needed to debate the many complex issues and listen to the perspectives of experts and care users, in order to build consensus around reforms which can succeed. The Green Paper will inevitably cover a range of issues that are common to all adults with care and support needs, whether older people or those of working age.MHCLG Ministers and officials have close working relationships with DHSC Ministers and officials leading on the Green Paper, and the departments are also jointly leading work to identify issues relating to social care that are relevant for adults of working age. The emerging impacts of both areas of work will be considered when taking forward the review of local authorities’ relative needs and resources and increased business rates retention.

Social Services: Children

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made with the research commissioned by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Education as part of the Fair Funding Review on children's services costs; and when they expect to publish the final conclusion of that research.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Our research project on children’s services, which was commissioned by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Education, is an important part of our fair funding review of relative needs and resources. The review will set new baseline funding allocations for local authorities in England with a target implementation date of 2020/21.The research project has made good progress to better understand cost and demand pressures, in order to deliver a robust funding formula for what is a complex and critical service area. We will continue to work closely with the LGA and others in local government to provide updates and seek support where required. The project is aiming to be completed by Summer 2019 for implementation alongside the review.

UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what submissions they have made to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination over the last 30 years.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The UK Government has submitted regular reports to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) since becoming a signatory to the Convention in 1969. Reports submitted to CERD are published on the United Nations website, along with the United Nations’ Concluding Observations. The reports produced since 1992 can be found in the Treaty Body Database, on the United Nations’ website.

Department for Work and Pensions

Department for Work and Pensions: Internet

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many cloud services contracts that were previously delivered by British cloud services providers for the Department forWork and Pensions are now delivered by multinational cloud service providers; what is the value of those contracts; and what are the names of the previous providers.

baroness buscombe: The Department of Work and Pension has not exited any DWP cloud services delivered by British providers.

Home Office

Immigration: EU Nationals

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will ensure that EU citizens looking for UK residency rights do not experience the same failures faced by Windrush immigrants.

baroness williams of trafford: All EU citizens lawfully here when the UK exits the EU will have the opportunity to regularise their status to remain in the country by applying for settled status.The Home Office is developing a new scheme for settled status from scratch. The application system will be simplified, user-friendly and draw on existing Government data to minimise the burden on applicants.

Deportation: Families

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children were deported with parents who had failed to be granted asylum in (1) 2016, and (2) 2017.

baroness williams of trafford: Immigration Enforcement Transparency data can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-data which provides data on Family Returns by type of return. The data requested is not available in the format requested.

Visas: Married People

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average time for processing spouse extension visa applications.

baroness williams of trafford: The latest information on processing cases by case type is published in the Home Office’s in-country Migration Transparency data.Please see link below, the data required can be found in Tab InC_02 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/in-country-migration-data-february-2018 and see also attached.The data does not differentiate between initial spouse leave to remain applications and extensions.



In Country Migration Transparency Data :Tab InC_02
(Excel SpreadSheet, 48.25 KB)

Visas: Married People

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government why no premium service interviews are available for applicants for spouse extension visas.

baroness williams of trafford: The Premium Service Centre Network offers a range of appointments each week including spouse extension visas. Availability is regularly monitored so that the range of visa appointments which are offered can be adjusted as required.

Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what considerationthey are givingto re-introducing the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government is determined to get the best deal for the UK in our negotiations to leave the EU, including for our world-leading food and farming industry. We have asked the Migration Advisory Committee for advice on the UK’s reliance on EU labour and they will help us shape immigration policy going forward.

Deportation: Commonwealth

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria, if any, were set for the award of any bonuses or other incentives to staff in the Home Office to identify candidates for deportation to Commonwealth countries.

baroness williams of trafford: The Department has not created and does not have bonuses or other incentives in relation to deportations or removals to Commonwealth countries.  No central policy ties to a specific target.

UK Visas and Immigration: Northern Ireland

baroness suttie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are (1) the staff numbers, and (2) the composition, of the Immigration Enforcement and Compliance Teams in Northern Ireland; and what plans they have regarding any increase in the staffing of that team.

baroness williams of trafford: The Immigration Enforcement and Compliance Team in Northern Ireland has 49 staff, 30 of which are Immigration Officers. Currently, there are no plans to increase the team’s staffing levels.

Passports

lord naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 12 April (HL6775) stating that "all opportunities to supply passports or their components for EU governments must comply with the EU Procurement Directives", whether (1) France, (2) Germany, (3) Italy, and (4) Spain, are exempt from those directives.

baroness williams of trafford: All EU member states are bound by EU Procurement Directives, and companies within the member states would have the opportunity to bid for the work as and when the government puts it out to tender.If the service is available from a state owned company, then an exemption to running a tender with private companies applies. There is no state owned UK passport company, and therefore this exemption does not apply. It is not for the UK Government to comment on whether France, Germany, Italy or Spain has opted to apply for such an exemption.

Passports

lord naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the contract to appoint Gemalto to provide the new passport has been signed; and if not, when they anticipate that it will be signed.

baroness williams of trafford: The contract for passport design, manufacture and personalisation services was signed between the Home Office and Gemalto UK Ltd on 18 April 2018.

Passports

lord naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in relation to the new passport contract, whether the estimated figures supplied by Lord Naseby to the Prime Minister's Office, demonstrating a net loss of approximately £36 million rather than a saving of £120 million, were considered or evaluated.

baroness williams of trafford: We do not agree with any suggestion that the new passport contract will generate a net loss.The new passport contract is worth approximately £260 million. This is considerably lower than the current contract that was valued at £400 million when it was awarded in 2009.

Passports

lord naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in relation to the new passport contract, when the original statement of the £120 million saving was made;and whether that figure included the anticipated adverse impact arising from the loss of UK taxes and increased costs from probable unemployment.

baroness williams of trafford: There is no requirement for large scale procurements to assess tax revenue impacts, other than to ensure bidders are tax compliant.The new contract for design, manufacture and personalisation of the UK passport is worth approximately £260 million. This will deliver significant savings to passport customers and the UK tax payer when compared to the £400 million contract that was awarded in 2009.The incumbent will continue to provide these passport services for at least another 18 months, and have publicly stated that they will bid for other work to help protect jobs after the current passport contract ends. Gemalto has also stated it expects to create up to 70 jobs in the UK across two locations.

Home Office: Data Protection

lord smith of finsbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their reasons for the exemption of the Home Office from the new data protection regulation; and what assessment they have made of the consequences of this exemption for individuals' access to their own personal data.

baroness williams of trafford: The General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Bill (once given Royal Assent) will apply to the processing of all personal data by the Home Office. The Regulation and Bill, provide limited exemptions to the rights of data subjects but these may only be applied on a case-by-case basis and only where it is necessary and proportionate to do so.We are looking to achieve an appropriate balance between individual’s rights and the wider public interest in maintaining an effective immigration system. People will still be able to request their own personal data as they can now. The rights contained in Article 15 regarding rights of access to information will be complied with wherever possible, we only seek to have the option to restrict those rights and withhold specific information from their records in cases where there is a likelihood of prejudice to our effective immigration control, for example on-going or planned enforcement activity.All decisions will be kept under review and people will have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner. This is a Government which puts transparency at the top of our agenda.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that up to 7,000 foreign students had their visas wrongfully revoked; and what assessment, if any, they have made of the circumstances which led to that outcome.

baroness williams of trafford: We strongly dispute those reports. In February 2014, investigations into the abuse of English language testing following a Panorama programme revealed systemic cheating which was indicative of an extremely serious, large scale organised fraud. The Government took immediate robust action on this but at all times has been careful to ensure that this has been measured and proportionate.This action included a number of criminal investigations launched into those behind this fraud. At the present time, 21 people have received criminal convictions for their role in this with prison sentences totalling 68 years being handed down. The Courts have consistently found that our evidence is sufficient to establish the presumption of fraud where we have taken action in individual cases. It is then up to individuals to challenge this through statutory appeals where applicable or Judicial Review.

Immigration

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of (1) married couples, and (2) civil partners, that might be separatedas a result of Brexit.

baroness williams of trafford: The agreement we have reached with the EU on citizens’ rights protects those EU citizens and their family members, including spouses and civil partners, exercising free movement rights in the UK before the end of the implementation period on 31 December 2020.During the implementation period, family members will be able to join EU citizens on current EU law terms. After the implementation period, close family members will be able to join an EU citizen covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, where their relationship existed before 31 December 2020 and continues to exist when they wish to join the EU citizen in the UK. Close family members includes spouses, civil partners and durable partners.

Immigration: Afghanistan

baroness coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to enable the eligible dependents of Afghan interpreters already relocated to the UK under the Redundancy Scheme to join them in the UK without delay and without any costs to themselves.

baroness williams of trafford: We have always been clear that Afghan interpreters would be able to stay in the UK with their families. The Home Secretary announced on 3 May that new Immigration Rules would be brought forward as soon as possible to ensure Afghan interpreters and their families have a route to permanent settlement. Applications will be free of charge after completing 5 years’ leave.Working with Other Government Departments, the Home Office will also look at what can be done to improve the process for Afghan interpreters to bring to the UK those family members who remain in Afghanistan.

Immigration: Afghanistan

lord lee of trafford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many former Afghan interpreters have been (1) granted five year residency permits, (2) allowed to bring dependants to the UK, and (3) granted indefinite leave to remain.

baroness williams of trafford: Afghan interpreters who qualify to come to the UK under the relocation schemes are able to bring qualifying dependent family members with them. To date, around 400 former Afghan interpreters have relocated to the UK with their families, making around 1,100 people in total.We have always been clear that Afghan interpreters would be able to stay in the UK with their families. The Home Secretary announced on 3 May that new Immigration Rules would be brought forward as soon as possible to ensure Afghan interpreters and their families have a route to permanent settlement. Applications will be free of charge after completing 5 years’ leave.Working with Other Government Departments, the Home Office will also look at what can be done to improve the process for Afghan interpreters to bring to the UK those family members who remain in Afghanistan.

Immigration: EU Nationals

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the UK registration system for EU citizens resident in the UK will be established; what is their estimate of the number of such citizens who will need to register on that system (1) as soon as it goes live, and (2) over the course of the first year; what plans they have to manage applications, especially during the initial registration period; what steps they will take to ensure that all those who need to register are given the opportunity to do so; and what steps they will take to ensure that individuals applying to register are kept informed of progress on their applications.

baroness williams of trafford: Latest ONS data estimates there are around 3.5 million EU residents in the UK (excluding Irish citizens).The Settlement Scheme is being designed to accommodate eligible EU citizens and their families including those who arrive during the implementation period. We intend to open the Scheme by the end of this year. EU citizens and their families will have until the end of the grace period in June 2021 to obtain their documentation, and we agreed with the EU to take a proportionate approach to anyone who does not apply by that point for a good reason. We will set out further details on the Scheme in the coming monthsCommunications will be crucial to ensure EU citizens and their family members living here understand the need to apply. That is why we have already launched a national awareness campaign, are holding monthly meetings with EU citizens’ representatives to understand their needs and are planning a range of support for vulnerable groups.Our communications efforts will intensify as we approach the launch of the Scheme at the end of the year and continue until June 2021.

Immigration: EU Nationals

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK registration system for EU citizens resident in the UK will be available in all EU languages.

baroness williams of trafford: We have established user groups to discuss the development of the Scheme. This includes the design of the Rules, guidance and systems; testing them as they are developed; understanding the range of user needs; and our plans for communications about the Scheme to ensure EU citizens understand what they need to do.We are conscious of the need to ensure the application process is straightforward and accessible, including language needs, particularly of vulnerable groups.That is why we have set up an additional user group of organisations that support the vulnerable and that represent EU citizens to obtain their views on how vulnerable groups can be supported through the application process.We will be setting out more detail in the coming months.

Police and Crime Panels

lord laming: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 2 May (HL7063), whether they have any responsibilities relating to the performance of Police and Crime Panels; and if not, to whom Police and Crime Panels are accountable.

baroness williams of trafford: Police and Crime Panels (PCPs) have the appropriate powers, as set out in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, to scrutinise the actions and decisions of elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and enable the public to hold them to account.The Home Office provides grant funding to support PCPs in discharging their statutory functions, as set out in the Act, ensuring effective scrutiny of PCCs.However, as PCPs are local bodies, modelled on local authority scrutiny committees, the Government does not have direct responsibility for their performance. PCPs are accountable to the constituent local authorities within their PCC’s force area which nominate members to the Panel.

Immigration: EU Nationals

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK registration system for EU citizens resident in the UK will be promoted through a comprehensive advertising campaign, including on TV.

baroness williams of trafford: It is vital that the over three million non-UK EU citizens and their family members living in the UK understand how and when to apply under the settlement scheme. That is why the Home Office has already launched a national ‘stay informed’ awareness campaign to set out EU citizens’ rights after the UK leaves the EU and to point towards reliable sources of information, including official emails from the government.Further comprehensive communications activity is planned in line with the roll-out of the settlement scheme later this year, including a multi-channel advertising campaign tailored to reach EU citizens. In addition, we have a well-established programme of stakeholder engagement, including businesses and EU citizens’ representatives.

Department for Exiting the European Union

EU Institutions

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to negotiate observer status for the UK in each of the EU institutions to take effect from 29 March 2019.

lord callanan: After 29 March 2019, the UK will no longer be a Member State of the EU. The UK will no longer sit at the European Council table or in the Council of Ministers, and will no longer have Members of the European Parliament. However, as set out in the agreement endorsed by the March European Council, representatives or experts from the UK may continue to attend meetings of certain EU committees, agencies, and other bodies during the implementation period, where the presence of the UK is necessary and is in the interests of the Union, or where the discussion concerns acts addressed to the UK and its citizens. No decisions have yet been made on our future relationship with the EU's bodies after the implementation period. The Government is considering very carefully a range of options, but where there is a demonstrable national interest in pursuing a continued relationship with an EU body, we will carefully examine whether we should pursue this. This will be a matter for negotiations.

Brexit

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure both Houses of Parliament are able to scrutinise fully any implementation period following Brexit.

lord callanan: The degree of scrutiny Parliament wishes to give to ongoing EU business is of course a matter for Parliament. It will be for both Houses to determine the level of scrutiny they will want to undertake during the implementation period, on the basis of the detailed arrangements for the period agreed between the UK and the EU.The Government supports a strong scrutiny process, and will continue to support and facilitate this for as long as EU legislation will continue to affect the UK. We are happy to engage in dialogue with the relevant committees as to how this may best be achieved.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Gaming Machines

baroness eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have assessed the impact of fixed-odds betting terminals on local economic growth; and if so, whether that assessment has shown any harm to the economy resulting from the use of such machines.

lord ashton of hyde: The impact assessment, published alongside the consultation on gaming machines and social responsibility measures, includes qualitative analysis regarding wider economic effects and the impact on individuals and communities of gaming machines, including Fixed-Odds Betting Terminals. The framework for analysis in the impact assessment takes into account some isolated economic effects in other gambling markets but does not attempt to look at the effects on the rest of the economy (general equilibrium) because doing so would be disproportionate relative to the size of the policy impacts expected. We received further evidence on costs and benefits in response to the consultation and an updated impact assessment will be published with the Government’s final proposals.

Art Works: Exports

lord inglewood: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have a target date for the introduction of electronic licences for the export of works of art; and if not, when they anticipate they will announce a target date.

lord ashton of hyde: The feasibility of electronic licensing for the export of cultural objects is under active consideration by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Arts Council England. The Department recognises the potential benefits of an electronic system as a means of simplifying the export licensing system and speeding up processes at the border. We are working with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, Border Force, and organisations in the arts and museums sectors who export cultural objects, to understand what systems may need to be maintained or introduced by the end of the EU exit implementation period. We will set a target timeframe for introducing electronic licenses pending further investigation and decisions on the development and implementation options.